Proposed Community Recreation Center Collaboration

At their November 13th Board Meeting, the River Forest Park District Board of Commissioners voted not to extend the Memorandum of Understanding on the Community Recreation Center Collaboration discussions beyond its December 1st deadline. The Board is open to new discussions after the District 200 Imagine Group presents their recommendations to the District 200 Board, provided there is a need for such collaboration.

The River Forest Park District is currently in exploratory discussions with the Park District of Oak Park and Oak Park River Forest High School regarding the possible construction of a joint Community Recreation Center. The collaborating agencies are meeting frequently to discuss options and have set a December 1, 2017 deadline to either draft an Intergovernmental Agreement on a Community Recreation Center Collaboration or end the collaboration discussions. Discussions are still exploratory, and there are many more questions than answers. What is known at this point is the following:

The River Forest Park District, Oak Park River Forest High School, and the Park District of Oak Park would each make individual investments of up to $5 million toward the financing of the project. This is a maximum number, and the final contribution amounts owed would need to be established.

An additional $5 million would be solicited through partnerships, sponsorships, and donations.

The balance (approximately $20-$25 million) of the project would be financed through a loan either out of the Oak Park River Forest High School’s Operation Fund Balance or through its capital bonding authority. The loan would be repaid over a 20-year period through revenues generated from the new facility.

The estimated cost of a new Community Recreation Center is $38-$44 million. The facility would ideally include an indoor aquatic facility, a fitness center, a gymnasium with multiple high school-size courts and an indoor track, a preschool/early child care center, and program space.

The facility would be located in the eastern half of Oak Park and managed by the Park District of Oak Park.

An Intergovernmental Agreement would spell out how each partner would be able to utilize the facility space, as well as the revenue and operating expenses for that space.